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More than anywhere else in Burgundy, winemakers in Chablis have felt the impact of recent warm vintages. Earlier harvests and more sun exposure have meant riper grapes and wines with fleshier, richer textures. This style of Chablis can support more oaking, and some winemakers have begun to increase the exposure to oak barrels.
The test of great winemakers is how they perform in the face of adversity. In sunny, dry vintages like 2023, just about everyone made tasty wine. But success in a challenging year speaks far more; and there’s rarely been a more difficult vintage than 2024. Some winemakers struggled, but others excelled; and Gautier Desvignes proved himself an exceptional talent.
There are winners and losers from the warming trend in France. Weather hazards aside, the Loire Valley and much of Burgundy have come out more or less ahead. In the south, the extremes have been less friendly. It’s no longer uncommon to find wines at nearly 16% alcohol – Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre soak up whatever sun they’re given, and there’s only so much winemakers can do to counter temperatures over 100F. All of this makes Nicolas Hanei’s wines from his tiny Domaine Malmont that much more exciting.
Several years ago, based on a tip from a Boston area Master of Wine, we contacted La Briccolina, a tiny family-run source in the heart of Barolo. As devotees of Burgundian Pinot Noir we’ve always been intrigued by Nebbiolo from Piedmont – an analogous thin-skinned varietal grown at its northern limit and capable of tremendous complexity and elegance.
Last year we introduced Arnaud Baillot, an exciting new source in Burgundy. He started just 10 years ago as a micro-negociant, purchasing grapes and making tiny batches from small plots. In the last decade he has acquired 10 hectares of vines around the Côte d’Or, farming organically and crafting beautiful, understated modern Burgundy.
We’re always on the hunt for small, family-run operations in Bordeaux. They’re harder to find than in Burgundy, but with some research and a bit of shoe leather we’ve managed to discover a few. One of our recent favorite finds is Chateau Roquegrave.
Credit for the discovery of sparkling wine is a matter of dispute. The monks of Limoux in the South of France claim 1531 as the date of genesis; the Champenois, with their stories of widows and Benedictine monks, have certainly won the publicity war; and even the Brits, who invented glass thick enough to contain the pressure, stake a claim.
The town of Maragnes is an underrated source for red Burgundy. Located at the very southern end of the Côte d’Or, it’s often left off regional maps, and its reputation is for rusticity over refinement. But chosen carefully, Maranges can offer unparalleled value for red Burgundy drinkers.
Gérard Thomas’s 2024 white Burgundies have arrived and they’re an excellent first look at the vintage. They’re decidedly old-school in texture, ranging from 11.5% to 12% (!) in alcohol, and sporting a refined daintiness that’s impossible to resist. Imagine a bold, buttery, mouthfilling, oaky Pouilly-Fuissé from the 1990s – these are exactly the inverse.
Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. Once firmly in the ripe, oaky, “extroverted” camp that made them a darling of Robert Parker, the domaine has shifted towards subtler expression in recent years: less time in oak, larger barrels, and earlier harvests.
It is now about a quarter century since we first discovered Poggerino, and we can’t think of a producer with a better decades-long record of consistent, careful winemaking. Antonio Galloni, the founder of Vinous and a renowned critic of Italy’s best wines, calls Poggerino’s wines “some of the purest expressions of the Sangiovese grape in Italy.”
Dennis Basset is beloved among our readers for his crisp, vibrant Syrahs from the Northern Rhône appellation of Crozes-Hermitage. His careful organic viticulture and light touch in the cellar produce terrific wines with precision and class, not to mention very reasonable price tags. His lone white wine, a Crozes Hermitage blanc, shows the same terrific detail and friendly character.
Perched where the Loire river meets the windswept Atlantic coast, Muscadet has long been a source for a classic, dry white wine. Served by the carafe in the oyster bars of Paris and London for decades, it’s refreshing, abundant, and inexpensive — a perfect glass to wash down a plate of crustaceans. In the last […]
The Domaine Guillemot Michel has been a benchmark source for biodynamic white Burgundy from the Maconnais. For years they made just a single wine: an iconic Viré-Clessé from Quintaine. And the wine deserves every bit of its extensive praise. “Honeyed, concentrated wines that are imbued with remarkable concentration and energy, and they develop beautifully in the cellar,” writes William Kelley, “One of the best producers in the Maconnais.”
Several readers are already hooked on our newest Champagne producer, RH Coutier. Coutier has been a favorite of Vinous founder Antonio Galloni “for years;” he calls their wines “gorgeous… showing the natural richness of Ambonnay.” The Coutier style is open and accessible – the non-vintage “Traditionnel” is expressive, captivating wine at an exceptional price – today we’re introducing their finest cuvée.